Who
- Sacramento County Public Health, health plans, health systems, community health organization
What
Sacramento County will not proceed with a multi-year Blue Zones initiative, which aims to build a dementia-friendly community and overall healthier environment. After launching the effort last fall and contracting Blue Zones to perform an intensive six-month analysis through data review and stakeholder engagement, the county-led coalition determined the price tag and level of participation needed to execute the program was too high.
This decision does not indicate a lack of support for transforming public health habits.
It does reflect the changed fiscal realities facing Sacramento County and the state of California, which had previously pledged $1 million to carve out a focus on Alzheimer’s disease through the program. Moreover, health plans and health systems have been frantically keeping up with the overhaul of health care resulting from the advent of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal program and recent legislative changes.
Takeaway/Next Steps
The Blue Zones analysis may yet serve as a blueprint for public health efforts that align with partners’ finances and bandwidth.
Contact
RVP Brian Jensen at bjensen@hospitalcouncil.org